"Shiek" - читать интересную книгу автора (Connie Mason)

"Are they not confined to a harem? Do you not summon them into your exalted presence so that you may use their bodies to ease your lust?"

Her words were harsh and condemning and didn't sit well with him. Who was she to tell him what to do and what not to do with his women? Not that there were all that many of them. He kept only three concubines and an older woman to see to their needs. He spent so much time at sea that he saw no reason to fill his harem with women. Neglected women would only make trouble in his absence. But when he returned he happily availed himself of their lush young bodies. His women were cosseted and spoiled; they lacked nothing in the way of material comforts. If they were lonely in his absence, he tried to make it up to them by bringing them back expensive baubles.

"Did no one ever tell you that men punish their women for being viper-tongued? You speak too boldly for a woman."

"Berber women are allowed freedom to speak and act as they please. They show their unveiled faces and are not confined to harems."

"No wonder Berber women are so brazen," Jamal muttered, sliding Zara a look that conveyed his contempt. Allowing women that much freedom was dangerous.

When they reached the main camp, the men were already mounted and waiting for Jamal to return with his captive. Jamal tossed Zara atop his horse and leaped up behind her. Moments later they were racing toward the imperial city of Meknes.





CHAPTER 2




The medina teemed with throngs of noisy people and animals as Jamal entered Meknes with the sultan's soldiers. Holding Zara possessively against him, he passed through the narrow streets which led to the Kasbah and imperial palace, a mighty fortress built on the crest of a hill overlooking the medina.

Zara gazed in awe at the wondrous sights and sounds surrounding her. The souk, a central marketplace within the medina, was a kaleidoscope of vivid colors and pleasing scents. Children and adults alike were grouped around storytellers and magicians while nearby, dancers practiced their graceful movements and monkey trainers and water sellers mixed freely with vendors hawking fruits, vegetables and meats.

Having lived most of her life in her own village high in the Rif mountains, Zara had never seen such a colorful mixture of sights and sounds. Then the call to prayer by the muezzin in his minaret brought people to a halt as they fell to their knees, facing Mecca, the holy city and birthplace of Allah. The muezzin's cry echoed over the city, his chant in praise of Allah and his works repeated over and over by the faithful. After prayers, the sultan's party continued on to the palace.

Zara feasted her eyes upon the sultan's exquisite gardens, stunned by their extravagant beauty. A profusion of every kind of flower grew in a precise pattern of vibrant colors. When they reached the palace door, Jamal lowered her to the ground and dismounted behind her. Moments later the door was opened by two palace guards dressed in striped pantaloons, short vests and capes. When Zara would have paused in the doorway to gawk at the ornate walls and ceilings held up by tall marble columns, Jamal urged her forward.

"Have you never been inside a palace before, Princess?"

"Not one like this," Zara admitted. "Perhaps I might have lived in such a dwelling if the Arabs hadn't stolen our cities."

"Come along, I'm sure the sultan has been advised of my arrival and is waiting for my report."

"Where are you taking me?"

"To the harem. You can eat and refresh yourself while I speak in private with the sultan."

Zara stopped in her tracks. "The harem? I have never been in a harem in my life and don't intend to go there now."

No sooner had Zara uttered those words than a plump Negro slave shuffled up to Jamal and bowed low. He wore robes of the finest silk and pointy shoes of soft leather. His face was round, smooth and unlined, and his expression was anything but servile.

"I am Assad, chief eunuch. I will take the slave to the harem and bring her forth when Moulay Ishmail summons her."

Zara's chin rose mutinously. "I won't go!"

Assad gave her a look of stunned disbelief. Such behavior from a woman was unheard of. "The lady needs to be taught proper conduct, my lord," Assad advised. "Have you impressed upon her the fact that the sultan will not allow such disrespect from a woman? He is not an easy man to deal with."